Blood for blood
by liliaeth
Summary: Nick Wolfe is unfortunate enough to get caught up in an ancient feud between human vampires and so-called vampirehunters. (Highlander/Blood Ties)


**Blood for blood**

"Most cops spook around anyone that can do mystical stuff."

Harlovan wiped his hands of the blood staining them. His face was not that easily cleaned, filthy with the blood and gore. He looked into the mirror, took some paper napkins and started cleaning up. Keeping his hair under the water.

His black shirt would hide some of it, but people might notice the smell. He went over to his victims closet and found a nice dark blue pullover with a nice long coll.

His hand brushed over his Lilith-cameo for a second.  
Bless the mother.

He spit once more on the beheaded corpse he left behind.

**Part one**

Nick was late to arrive on the scene of the crime. A rookie cop was already losing his guts in the bushes in front of the door. The immortal didn't let it stop him. The smell was hard to deal with. He didn't recognise the body but he did notice its state, beheaded, tied up to a chair.

He looked around at the windows, none of them were broken. If the man had been an immortal there hadn't been a Quickening. But he knew better than to think that all beheadings were the work of immortals.

The mans widdow stood crying in the kitchen. He could see the female cop dealing with her. She'd be fine. He kneeled down next to the body, taking a good look at the mans wounds.  
Someone had been cutting him open. While he was still alive, if the look on his face was any indication.  
"Any leads." he asked the pale uniformed cop at the door."  
The man was about to nodd, but had to put his hand in front of his mouth and ran outside.  
The more experienced cop behind him laughed at the sight.  
"None that I could find detective."

Nick nodded and looked at his partner. She was looking at a cabinet on the wall. He joined her and noticed the three different versions of the bible that held an honorary place in the cabinet. Next to them were some carefully carved stakes, and a few small bottles with water.  
"Weird. The guy seems to have fashioned himself some kind of vampirehunter or something like that."  
Nick nodded and continued the search.  
"The monsters must have taken him." He heard the woman say.

"He was on television three days ago. Him and his friends were preaching about the threat of vampires living amongst humanity."  
"Nice." He took out some gloves before checking out the stakes.  
"What do we know about those friends?"  
"They were all members of SCAV. The Southern Coalition Against Vampirisme. They're a bunch of wackos. "  
"Maybe not Cunnings. He pointed at the wounds on the mans body. Several of them were made not by weapons but by teeth and something resembling claws."  
"Wackos tend to attract wackos Nick. You should know that better than anyone."

Nick nodded, leaving the body for the forensic team to deal with it.

*******

Harlovan looked up when the bikergang approached him.  
"And how did it go?"  
He didn't respond and kept paging through his books.  
"As good as always Butch."  
The young Karpatian sat down across of him.  
"He deserved it Harlovan. For killing us. For slaughtering us. Like they killed your darling Laura." Harlovan looked up at the false sympathy in the younger Karpatians voice. Butcherbird Vlad was one of those who'd never approved of his relationship with an American. He ignored the younger man and turned back to his book.

"They won't leave us alone Harlovan. Killing them is the only way to make them stop. The only way to keep them from destroying us."  
Harlovan looked at the young boy sitting a bit seperately from the other Karpatians.Cody. The kid seemed a bit disappointed by him. After all he'd been saying to him when the boy had wanted to avenge his parents deaths, he was doing exactly what he hadn't wanted Cody to do. But couldn't the kid understand. Harlovan had been trying to shield his innocense. He himself hadn't been innocent since joining the council.

Blood for blood.  
That was the way of the people.  
They kill us, we kill them and the fight goes on. Forever.

His claws errupted from his fingers and started scratching the table.  
"Blood for blood Harlovan." the punk said echoing his thoughts.  
"Blood for blood."the others chimed in.

** **

**Part Two**

There was noone that paid the young looking woman any attention as she passed through the station. Her jeans and leather coat did nothing to make her stand out amongs the homicide cops of Long Beach. Nick only noticed her because of the Immortal Buzz she gave of . She seemed as shocked by sensing him as he was by her.  
"I am Zara Mansfield." She said offering him her bare hand.  
"Nick ... Stevens." He answered after a short hesitation. He could hardly offer her his real name. Not here in the station where anyone could overhear them.  
"I was asked to offer some help in this case."  
"The psychic." he answered.  
She just nodded. They both knew why she was here. The victims family hadn't thought the cops could deal with things. Not anymore. This had been the fifth case of this nature to have happened in only a few weeks time.

They both looked up as Nicks new partner approached them. She seemed to hold in a grin at seeing the psychic. Nick knew she was even more sceptic about all that psychic mumbo jumbo than he was. At least he knew that some superstitions were true. Immortality had taught him that at least. That and the last time he'd met up with a psychic.

***** Two years ago Torago *****

He looked at the young girl that his partner Claudia had just pulled out from under the hatchway. Just in time. She seemed halfway starved and frozen. The man who'd lead them to her stared at him strangely.  
"Thanks." He finally managed to say to him. "If it weren't for you."  
"Don't worry about it detective Wolfe." As they shook hands the man staggered back somewhat.  
"And as the Raven stole the sun, the gods sent a warrior to call her back. And nothing would ever be the same"

Nick gazed at him oddly, wondering what the hell the man was talking about.  
"You will understand when you face your destiny." Was all the psychic would say before turning his back on the baffled cop. Before Nick could say anything more, Claudia called him to attention.

***** Present** ***

Nick watched as the his partner dropped the files on the table. The immortal psychic Zara Mansfield wasn't bothered by her disdain and looked at Nick interested.  
"I'm surprised you haven't thrown me out yet. Most cops spook around anyone that can do mystical stuff."  
"Yes well, most cops don't go around,wearing swords either."  
She had to smile at that.  
Zara picked up one of the files and pulled out one of the pictures. Her entire body shook back.  
"So much hate." She was shivering. Nick jumped up to help her.  
"Don't worry I'm alright." She picked up another picture, the pain in her eyes grew stronger with each passing photograph, with each item.  
"They were filled with hate, hate killed them and got them killed.  
"What do you mean."  
"Find what they hated and you will find their killers."  
The woman tried to get up but staggered while doing so. Nick helped her sit down again.  
"Find what they hate."the woman whispered again as if in a trance.

Part Three

Nick looked through the files again. All he could find was the vampirehunter-thing. But that was nonsense wasn't it? He quickly scanned through the last victims journal.  
"Chelarin will not escape us again." The man had written.  
"Cunnings, who's Chelarin?"  
"You don't know who Chelarin is. Eli Chelarin. The largest and most corrupt money mongul in all of Long Beach. Everyone knows him. What? Did these guys think he's some kind of vampire?"  
"I don't know. His name keeps coming back. From what I read they went after him before, but the Hunters they sent disappeared. Only to be found, ending up on the shore, drained of blood."  
Cullen started humming the 'Twilight zone' tune.  
"Get serious." Nick said while throwing his empty cup her way.  
"Well it is ridiculous. Even you have to admit that."  
Nick wasn't all that sure. Immortals had turned out to be real after all. Who knows what else could real.

********

Harlovans fingers brushed past the picture. She was dead. He'd never see, feel or smell her ever again. She'd never laugh with him again or get annoyed by his refusal to talk about himself.  
Those bastards had killed her. She wasn't even Karpatian, yet they'd staked her and treated her as if she were.

A man and a woman were coming out of the club. The woman was innocent, she shouldn't get involved in this, yet this was the only time the man had ever left without protection, without his friends.  
"Darren Mulhooney?" He asked. The man looked up and seemingly recognised him instantly.  
"Get away from me you fiend." he said, while stepping back and pulling out a crucifix. Harlovan got next to him in an instant. "You will not get me too hellspawn." the man said while pressing his cross in the Karpatians face. The Karpatian snarled then ignored it and slashed out against the Hunter. His claws drawing blood.

The woman started screaming for help, but Harlovan ignored her as he pulled the man up. Pressing him against the wall onehandedly. The mans eyes screamed in terror as Harlovan pressed his fangs in his throat. "You will kill no more."  
The body was still convulsing as Harlovan started running. Cops showed up and tried to stop him. Harlovan ducked at near inhuman speed. He still got shot, but he tried to ignore that and jumped over a 8 ft fence in a single leap. The cops tried to follow but the Karpatian was gone before they even got close.

Part Four

They arrived at the scene of the crime only minutes after the perp was gone. Nick and his partner had been in the area but had arrived just to late to help in the chase. He looked over the area and noticed the bloodmarks on the wall. Apparantly his murderer had seen no problem in holding his victim up. Even though the victim had been over 7 ft himself.

The witness wasn't much help, stammering on and on about vampires and monsters. She claimed she'd never taken her boyfriends theories on vampires serious. Until now.  
The guy who'd done this just couldn't be human.

"The vampire killer again." He turned around and looked at the psychic.  
He nodded. "How did you ..." She turned and gave him a knowing look.  
"Know what happened? I looked in my crystal ball."  
Seeing Nicks baffled look. "I heard what happened on the radio. Could I?" She pointed at the crimescene.  
He let her through. The female immortal kneeled next to the body, touching the wounds.  
She seemed to notice something but he wasn't sure what.  
"I'm sorry. I have to go."  
"What is it?"  
She shrugged him of and headed for her car.

*******

Nick and Cunnings stared at eachother and started following the psychic. Something weird was going on here and Nick had a feeling the psychic knew more about it than she admitted.

She didn't stop before she reached a large building near the beach.  
"What the hell is she doing at Chelarins place?"  
Mansfield was allowed in after only a short check up at the entrance, but the two cops somehow doubted they'd get the same reception.

Nick took a look at the wall surrounding the place.  
"Do you think it's doable?"  
"If your crazy enough." Cunnings didn't seem to believe in him. Then she grinned. "I might though, if you give me a hand." He followed her to to wall and let her step on his hands, then on his shoulders. Even then she was barely long enough to reach the top. She stayed seated on it, waiting to help Nick. He was just about to take a long run to jump when they both heard dogs coming their way.  
"Go." he whispered. Cunnings looked at him in question, she couldn't just leave her partner alone like this. He started running away from the wall. The dogs started approaching and Cunnings had no other choice but to jump over the wall.

*******

Harlovan sat up in surprise when the cop was brought in. The lady Zara didn't seem to share the feeling. She stayed seated, barely looking up when she seemed to sense something.  
"Is he a Jinge?" Eli asked.  
One of the Eternal warriors, immortals as they called themselves. Harlovan could barely believe his luck. Meeting two Jinge together. It was not something many Karpatians ever got a chance for.  
"Yes, a young one." The Karpatian that was holding the young Jinges arms let go of him.  
"What the hell is going on here Mansfield."  
His voice sounded angry. Harlovan could emphatize.

"You are welcome in a home of the Children young Jinge. What is your name?"  
"His name is Wolfe, Nick Wolfe. He's a cop."  
"Investigating the 'vampire killings' I presume." Butcherbird nearly spat out the words.  
"Someone has to."  
Harlovan could smell the mans fear in this situation, but other than that the Jinge gave no sign of being affected by anything that happened.  
"We did what we had to do. To protect our people." Vasile's calm voice was a strong contrast against the atmosfere in the room.  
"The lady Zara was just asking us, and we shall give you the same answer we gave her.  
Blood for blood. Pain for pain.  
As long as they kill our children, as long as they make our blood flow in rivers, so long shall we be forced to take their blood in punishment."  
"You can't just go around killing people."  
"Can't we." The sneer in Butcherbirds voice was clear. The young Karpatian was nearly growling. "It's our business. Just like the battles between Jinge are your business."

The young Jinge seemed taken back by that. Young. The man was barely a few years younger than he was. Harlovan stood up and went to the bar. Celia smiled at him, he ignored her and took a wodka.

******

Nick could barely believe the sight in front of him. These were the people killing the so-called vampirehunters and they didn't even deny it. Mansfield didn't seem surprised by their knowledge of immortals. She'd expected it.  
"What are you?"

A man standing at the bar looked up at that. Now that he turned around, Nick could see the blood that stained the mans dark brown coat. This was the killer he'd been looking for.  
"We are Karpatians. Dograi, The Children of the mother, The children of Lilith. We are of the night. Our kind has been around even longer than your kind. Eternally fighting to survive in a world that hates us. A world that allows us to be tarnished, to be hunted.  
Humans have called us by many names. Vampires is one of those."  
The man smiled and Nick could see the fangs in his mouth.  
"We are bloodsuckers, monsters, demonspawn." The younger man added. "We are what humans fear when they go to bed at night."  
"But in the end, my young Jinge, we are all just like you. Simply ... different." The older man looked at him. His gaze nearly friendly. "We are not your enemies, anymore than you should be ours."  
As if.

"Killing people for their blood is more than just being a bit different."  
"We have grown more civilized mister Wolfe. Most of us at least. But the Hunters won't let us go. They keep killing us, destroying our homes, our lives. What do you expect us to do?"  
"Call the cops." Nick couldn't help offer.  
"Would you call the cops when another immortal challenges you?"  
The man approached him. Nick looked into his dark brown eyes.  
"Would you call the cops when someone tries to kill you because they call you an abomination, a blight on the face of the earth."The man looked at him questioningly.  
"Of course you wouldn't. You'd go after them and stop them. Just like we are doing."

**Part five**

Cunnings didn't understand what was happening when she saw Nick facing the group of people. Wasn't she supposed to be doing something, anything to help her partner out. She decided to wait it out. An elderly man came up to Nick and was telling him something. Then the man took Nicks wriste placing it to his mouth. Nick struggled for a second but then the man bit into the wrist and he no longer resisted. Cunnings sat openmouthed as the man then continued to bite his own wrist and offering it to Nick.

Nick met up with her at the car, only a few minutes later.  
"So." were her first words. "Did you get turned into a vampire?"  
Nick started laughing.  
"Yeah right." He leaned against the car. "Living forever. As if."  
"What happened Nick?"

"We just had a nice talk with the family, detective Cunnings."  
Cunnings glared at the woman in front of her. Zara Mansfield didn't seem at the least bothered by the fact they'd just had a meeting with a group of suspects.  
"What the hell are they to you?"  
"Just family, on my mothers side."

*******

Nick stared at the other immortal. She still hadn't explained how she knew about those 'vampires'. Family. As if.  
Zara took out a cigarette and lighted it. The flame played up in the darkness of the night.  
"Don't you know those things'll kill you." Nick couldn't help his grin.  
'Only if they came with a sword Cunnings.'  
He looked at his wrist, to the blood that was still on it. If it weren't for his immortality the wound would still be bleeding. Bloody vampires or whatever they called themselves. Damn monsters.

And he couldn't even arrest them. If he did they might tell on him. Maybe not about the immortality, but the fact he was using a fake name was enough to get him in trouble. And worst of all, they knew it.

*******

The look on the cops face had been hilarious. Well, at least they wouldn't have to worry about that angle anymore. He asked for Vasile's permission and left the room.  
Jinge.  
A weird race, with even weirder traditions.  
It was hard to believe that a guy like Wolfe could possibly live forever. He thanked the mother he wasn't one of them.  
He could see through the window that the lady Zara was talking to Wolfe and his partner. Liliths oldest daughter, one of the five oldest jinge in the world.  
Lilith, Methos, Temlan, Zara, Maygok. Meeting even one of them brought blessings from the spirits that had created them. He wondered if Wolfe even had a clue as to who he was dealing with. Knowing the lady Zara's reputation he severely doubted it.

**Part Six**

There were three men on the improvised stage. One of them, a man with a shortly trimmed blond beard was dramming on and on about the vampire threat. Cunnings didn't bother trying to keep quiet. Noone else seemed to do so. The man pulled out a bible and started reciting bible-phrases to get his point across. She no longer tried to follow. This was just like one of those neo-nazi-gatherings she'd been sent to when she was a rookie. Lots of talk about an enemy but no real reasons.

Suddenly she looked up. A couple of men pushed a young boy up on the stage.  
"Behold the Beast." The boy seemed terrified. He tried to struggled but in between his chains and the four men holding him he didn't stand a chance.  
"They appear to us in the face of innocense yet they are evil." He pulled the boys face up, forcing the kid to look in his eyes. "This whelp must be destroyed before he can grow his fangs. He must be destroyed before he becomes a threat. Yet to allow him to live will pull others of his kind towards us and enable us to destroy more of the demonspawn."  
He pushed the kid against the ground. Dragging him against a huge cross lying on the ground. For a moment she feared he was planning to nail him to it, but luckily he only used ropes.  
"Be weary of the devil, these children of Lilith. For they are the darkness. They are abominations upon the lords work and must be terminated."

He pushed a crucifix in the boys face and the kid started growling.  
Cunnings staggered back. She couldn't allow this to happen. If only she hadn't gone ahead without Nick. But after the scene at Chelarins place she hadn't dared ask him to join her.

********

Nick got back to his desk with the donuts Cunnings had asked him to get. He yawned slightly because of the late hour. Zara and him were talking about Amanda, carefully of course so nobody would hear the wrong kind of things. There weren't many people at this time, but they'd all decided to head back to the station, despite the time.

The younger immortal looked surprised when his partner wasn't at her desk, filling in both their paperwork. The stack with papers didn't seem to have decreased a bit.  
Yep, the same paper was still on top. He took a second look at the desk and noticed a small paper on it.  


**Nick,**

**Don't worry.**  
**I've gone to a SCAV-meeting**  
**at the old armoury.**  
**Have fun.**

**E L Cunnings.**

Nick almost blew up in anger. He grabbed his vest and burst out of the staffroom. Zara didn't understand what was happening but decided to follow him anyway.

********

Harlovan ran into the common room. The others were watching a tape.  
A man was holding a boys head in a grip by the hair. He nearly froze when he recognized the kid. Cody.  
"The hall of weapons at the wolf hour." The man said. "Remember Hellspawn, the old hall of weapons at the hour of the wolf or the whelp dies."  
"What do we do?"  
"Save him of course."  
All looked at Butcherbird, wondering what had gotten into him.  
"We can't just let those bastards kill one of ours. Even if he is a Hick."  
The older Karpatians in the room knew that he meant his words. Whatever other flaws he might have, where the family, his people were concerned, Butcherbird Vlad was loyal to a fault.  
"This time we can't leave any mercy Harlovan. Are you up to it."  
Harlovan thought about it. Butch was right. He thougth about the bloodbath they would cause and strangely it didn't bother him. He growled softly at the thought of the fight.  
"I get it."  
"Blood for blood." Vasile started the cry, and all followed.  
"Blood for blood" And may the spirits hold our souls. 

**Part Seven**

Zara watched looking in front of her as the younger immortal drove the car. She wasn't really looking at anything, trying to avoid the cops anger, she let her mind wander.

Images started jumping at her. Blood and fangs.  
She convulsed forwards against her seatbelt.  
"You better hurry up Nick." Wolfe looked at her and she wasn't sure what convince him but he put his foot on the gas letting her put the flashlight on the roof.  
The younger immortal eyed the radio for a second but decided not to use it. Not yet at least.

By the time they got to the building screaming was coming out through the window. Wolfe kicked open the door and a warscene was shown in front of them. Several Karpatians were causing a bloodbath amongst a bunch of mortals. Nicks Partner Cunnings was nowhere in sight. He flashed around trying to find her, but failed miserably.

Zara watched as Vasile, one of the Karpatians elder fought back a stake coming at his heart. Another Karpatian pulled back the attacking SCAV-member and shred the mans throat open.  
Nick pulled out his gun, but nobody but Zara seemed to notice it.

Zara was startled when the young immortal suddenly jumped up to the front stage. Until she saw a large blond man stand on top of it, holding Cunnings as a hostage. A young Karpatian was lying on the floor, seemingly heavily wounded. Zara could see the boys life force leaving him from the place the wooden stake had hit him.

*******

Cunnings pulled out her gun and shot to the roof.  
"Sorry buster but this is going way beyond 'freedom of expression'."  
A few men startled back by the sight of her badge but some others jumped at her. There were just to many for her to shoot. They grabbed her and pulled her up on the stage.  
"So you are one of the wenches whoring themselves out to these monsters. You disgust me."  
Cunnings tried to break free of the mens hold, but they were to strong for her.  
"I guess we'll have to deal with you our way."  
Cunnings luckily never found out what 'their way' inheld. A group of men broke into the hall.

The SCAV-members didn't wait a second to respond. Cunnings recognised several of the attackers that she'd seen at Chelarins place. So these were the 'vampires', great.

Cunnings hit one of the men holding her in the shin and broke loose. She made use of the chaos to get the boy out of his chains. He nearly fell, weakened from bloodloss and repeated beatings. Cunnings was kneeling over him when she was attacked from behind. She heard the voice of the SCAV-leader hissing his insults in her ear. The boy tried to get up to protect her but he was hit with a stake throught the heart before he could.  
Cunnings had to hold in tears. No! She'd failed and because of her and her arrogance the boy would die.

Then Nick and that weird psychic broke in.

**Part Eight**

Nick realised two things at once. The boy on the improvised stage was dying and his partner had a gun pressed against her head. Nick pulled out his sword and headed up to them.  
The man laughed and pulled a blade of his own. Even against one as young as Nick the mortal didn't stand a chance. Nick was about to kill the man when he noticed his partner.

He hit the bastard on the head and ran over to Cunnings.  
"Nick? How's the boy?"  
She was incredible. He wanted to smile and tell her everything would be alright but he'd seen enough lethal wounds to know that he'd be lying. He looked at the boy, he was dead. Another of the dark and lethal Karpatians headed their way, kneeled down next to the boy and seemed to force himself not to cry.

Nick shrugged of his feelings of failure, knowing that they'd done their best.  
In the end "I'm sorry." were all the words he could say. The man looked at him, trying to thank him for his help but unable to talk. Several of the surviving SCAV-members were held in the grip of the 'vampires' they'd been trying to eradicate.

Nick could hear some of the Karpatians growl, others flashed their fangs and claws as if ready for attack. Only the calm gaze of one of the older ones held them back from jumping at the humans.  
Then he started feeling it. Something, as if coming from very. A kind of Buzz that kept growing stronger. And then it was there an immortal Buzz at the same time that the boys corpse gasped for breath.

Nick nearly hit himself. Where immortals everywhere?  
The boy had barely the time to recompose himself when the man standing over him grabbed him in a tight hug. "Never die on us again."  
Several of the Karpatians started laughing.

The hunters in the room looked at them in fear.

** **

**Epilogue**

"Eli has sworn that they'll let the Hunters stand trial."  
Nick nodded, not quite sure if he could believe the older immortal on this, but not stupid enough to openly show his disbelief.  
"And the kid?"  
She looked at the boy that was looking at them. He was sitting head in his hands, still in shock.  
"My student. Until ... "  
She didn't seem quite sure what she could tell him and what not.

Nick didn't ask any further, looking nowhere but at his partner. He still had to tell her. Or did he?  
Could he turn her life around like that. He shrugged.

As the french say, que sera sera


End file.
